In relation to another thread I started, this one is specifically related to the College 529s. I am curious how many of us keep track of the college plans from any analysis standpoint. Do you use spreadsheets, Quicken, etc?

Do you not do any form of tracking but simply review your investment portfolio online and the statements?

Any information and perspective is appreciated.

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

What do you mean by analysis? I know what I own and have owned in my 529 plans. I used MS Money to track them. I actually never look at the statements and online is too difficult to login and see what's going on. That's because I use the Ohio 529 plan which makes it hard to do that.

Last edited by livesoft on Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Historical perspective? Hmmm. I don't bother, but maybe that's because I am in year 4 of withdrawals and my attitude is that "It is what it is."

Now I admit I don't have the same attitude about my portfolio, but it has to last the next 40 years instead of the next 6 months.

Ok, so your College 529 plans are basically short term focused. Our investment portfolios are for the long term. So essentially it is not really necessary to review the trending and performance. Like you said "It is what it is".

In the next few years, we will begin withdrawals from the College 529 plans. So really, at this point, the Vanguard statements show the total principal and investments results since inception.

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

I do not do any tracking other than checking the balance and transactions a few times a year.

Given my investing approach (choose a fund(s) and set it and forget it) and the fact that the investment horizon is relatively short-term in nature, I do not see upside in any sort of analysis or tracking. What would I do with the information? Save more...nope. Change funds (to chase performance)....nope. My contributions and expected returns should cover our state flagship public university and ~2-4 years of private university/college depending on where and tuition. The number will be what it is and if it is not enough I will cash flow the rest or the offspring will have to take out loans.

Given my investing approach (choose a fund(s) and set it and forget it) and the fact that the investment horizon is relatively short-term in nature, I do not see upside in any sort of analysis or tracking. What would I do with the information? Save more...nope. Change funds (to chase performance)....nope.

Hi HopeToGolf -

This is well said and really puts everything in perspective.

Thanks!

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

Ours is with the state plan, and none of the online trackers interface well with it. Portfolio Visualizer kind of does, but not well. We only have three funds (US index, Int index, Bond index), so I just update it manually in a spreadsheet once a year and rebalance based on what the SS tells me to do. Contributions all go automatically to the three funds based on our AA.

Part of the motivation for my question is the investment fund in the Vanguard 529 plan is a simple all in one fund. Essentially the same as a Target fund. That is, the fund includes U.S. and International Stock as well as U.S. and International Bonds. Over time, the fund allocates more to the bond portion of the investment portfolio as the child gets closer to the college years.

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

I do not do any tracking other than checking the balance and transactions a few times a year.

Given my investing approach (choose a fund(s) and set it and forget it) and the fact that the investment horizon is relatively short-term in nature, I do not see upside in any sort of analysis or tracking. What would I do with the information? Save more...nope. Change funds (to chase performance)....nope.

Thank you for the feedback and thoughts. I deleted and removed the College portfolio analysis from my simple Excel workbook. I have not missed it thus far. There were a couple of posts above that made me look at it differently. Specifically, I am contributing x dollars. If it declines or some else else, what am I going to do? Answer nothing different and the same.

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

My wife and I superfunded a 529 for our first grandchild last year. We chose Nevada Vanguard because it is highly rated, has a low expense ratio, and shows up right in my Vanguard account along with our other holdings and balances.

I don't do any analysis at this point because it is 100% in Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index and I expect to leave it that way until our grandchild is four years out from college. At that point I will build a simple spreadsheet to guide me in rebalancing the funds for each year of college to Vanguard's Intermediate Term Bond Index at a rate of 25% per year so that each year's funds are 100% in bonds 12 months before the year begins.

Realistically, since I am approaching seventy it may be my successor rather than me who does the rebalancing!

I track both of my 529s monthly to see the balance and graph it. I compare this to a figure that represents the amount I expect to need based on the child's current age. It makes me feel better if the balance is at or above where it should be for that month. I also post these graphs monthly on the family bulletin board to remind myself and DW one of the many reasons we go to work.

You may not need it, but I find tracking it helpful to me. I have an automatic monthly withdrawal for each but I want to know if I need to increase it. I also check college expenses once a year and that moves the goal line so to speak.

"It's always been a mistake to bet against the United States since 1776." - Warren Buffett

My wife and I superfunded a 529 for our first grandchild last year. We chose Nevada Vanguard because it is highly rated, has a low expense ratio, and shows up right in my Vanguard account along with our other holdings and balances.

I don't do any analysis at this point because it is 100% in Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index and I expect to leave it that way until our grandchild is four years out from college. At that point I will build a simple spreadsheet to guide me in rebalancing the funds for each year of college to Vanguard's Intermediate Term Bond Index at a rate of 25% per year so that each year's funds are 100% in bonds 12 months before the year begins.

Realistically, since I am approaching seventy it may be my successor rather than me who does the rebalancing!

Hi fourwheelcycle -

Great and informative post. One easier way may be to not invest in the individual funds but rather Vanguard's all in one age based fund options. I have done this from the start (i.e. Total Stock, Total International Stock, Total Bond, & Total International Bond) and it has worked very well. I believe with the option selected, our fund will be 25% (made less) of stock and almost all bonds at college time.

This also makes it easy for successors.

John C. Bogle: "You simply do not need to put your money into 8 different mutual funds!" |
|
Disclosure: Three Fund Portfolio + U.S. & International REITs

In relation to another thread I started, this one is specifically related to the College 529s. I am curious how many of us keep track of the college plans from any analysis standpoint. Do you use spreadsheets, Quicken, etc?

Do you not do any form of tracking but simply review your investment portfolio online and the statements?